[KYHAM] A Matter of Security - Revisited

Ron Dodson ka4map at ispky.com
Thu Jul 8 23:07:11 EDT 2004


Those who were on these listservs may recall a post that I placed on 
them in the days following 9-11 regarding our role in being mindful of 
issues of security that we air via amateur radio and our readiness for 
the next wave of attacks.

Many seem shaken today by the announcement that terrorists may attempt 
an organized attack on multiple US targets later this summer or early 
fall. Why this surprised anyone, beats me.  Anyone who thought this was 
over is sorely mistaken and I have seen no indication that terrorist 
groups are ready to throw in the towel as far as the good ol' US of A 
being a likely target is concerned.  As this newsworthy tidbit has 
sounded a wake up call to those who drifted off in the last three years, 
it appears as good a time as any for me  to rehash the topic for a few 
moments.

REMEMBER:
Terrorists succeed because they observe, watching for avenues of 
weakness and then exploit those weaknesses as much as possible.

CONSIDER THE FOLLWOING:
How many times do you hear truckers on CB discussing their loads, where 
they plan to travel and rest stops they intend to make?

Likewise, how many times do we as amateurs involved in ARES, RACES or 
maybe even MARS go into great detail over the air about
recent improvements to our local EOC's or ther issues without a second 
thought to the fact that there are relatively cheap SWL receivers and 
scanners that can copy a good deal of our communications for 
intelligence gathering by those with our worst interests in mind?  Have 
you also fallen back into the pre-911 ways of complacency or are you 
still observant enought to be able to recognize something that looked 
out of place if you saw it?  Again, I'm not asking for paranoia, just a 
little awareness and preparedness.

PLANNING AHEAD:
Do you know your net frequencies and those used in the state without a 
second thought?  Is your go-kit ready and stocked with gear and 
supplies?  http://www.kyham.net/docs/train/assess.pdf  If you haven't of 
late, retake this self assessment and see if you gained or lost since 
the last time.  If it is your first time seeing this, use it as a way to 
set goals based on your needs and priorities for your amateur radio 
operations.

Is your family's disaster plan still valid and engrained into all family 
members? 
http://kyem.dma.state.ky.us/WMD/docs/Citizen%20Preparedness%20Guide.pdf  
Is the Family Disaster Supplies Kit still fresh and good to go if an 
attack came before sunup tomorrow? How about your work place?

Would your first stop of the day need to be at your favorite gas station 
as you gaze at the needle dancing on the big "E"?  What if there was no 
power or lines around the corner at the pumps and a $3.00+ per gallon 
price tag hanging over them? Consider these and any other preparedness 
actions and changes you need to make in your life style. 

Food for thought in the hours and days ahead.

73,
Ron Dodson, KA4MAP
Ky Section Emergency Coordinator



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